This is the kind of sticker shock I think we can all get behind, although the driver of this Volvo would never know we’re there.
Last Call indicates the end of Hooniverse’s broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.
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Last Call: Don't Look Back Edition
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13 responses to “Last Call: Don't Look Back Edition”
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sticker shocker:
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Tractor Tuesday!
http://i61.tinypic.com/2qjdle0.jpg
http://i62.tinypic.com/20574nm.jpg
You may have read one of my previous posts, in which I mentioned that we were going to pick up a new (to us) tractor on Tuesday.
(Yes, antique tractor collecting is a thing. It’s has most of the perks of car collecting, for often much cheaper costs and much simpler problems, anyway, I digress…)
Well, today is Tuesday, so we all loaded up in the Blue Beast and headed off to the tractor’s storage location. We got there and found the owner. (We had already viewed the tractor, so this was more of exchanging money and key kind of day, except this tractor has no key…)
This is the point where I digress about the PO. He’s a former International Harvester engineer, very knowledgeable about antique machinery and generally a very cool guy. It’s guys like this that you wish you could buy everything off of.
Anyway, we got the tractor loaded up. At this point, the owner gave an envelope, filled with pictures of the tractors restoration! That really made this cool, since money can’t buy stuff like that.
After this, the PO had to leave. We stayed and wandered around the storage location, which is a museum-like place dedicated to farm life. If you are nearby, I highly recommend going. There is an awesome display of trucks, with one building filled with Mach AC and other trucks of that era. The orange one in the picture below was used to build the Hoover Dam!
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3692/9491525908_098583bd5e.jpg
Picture stolen from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sherlock77/9491525908/The place is called “Pioneer Acres”. Here’s the site: http://www.pioneeracres.ab.ca/
Oh, right, this is about the tractor. This is an Allis Chalmers IB, the industrial version of the popular Allis Chalmers B. They only built 2 850 of these, and this particular one was used as a airport tug at the Winnipeg International Airport. It’s fully restored, and just needs some tinkering to rid it of the woes it acquired in storage.
http://i59.tinypic.com/20kuq7l.jpg
(I didn’t ask the POs permission, so out of respect for his privacy I’ve blocked out his name and face.)
All pictures are taken by me, or by my family members, except for the truck one.
Oh, and I’ve enjoyed writing this. Thanks for reading if you got this far, and let me know if there is any interest in me talking about tractors!
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I knew there was a subculture for tractors, I’ve seen the mags. I hear they suffer the same issues like the old car scene: old Honda spares are hardly available and if so expensive, air-cooled Porsches are overpriced, and sometimes tires are Unobtainium.
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To a degree, yes. But still, the problems are simpler. There is a surprisingly large amount of companies that remanufacture parts, so most parts for common tractors are fairly easy to come by.
And also, there are little to no interior or trim parts to speak of. Combined with very little body work, plastic, or chrome they are great starter projects.
Oh and price wise, I don’t know what they go for in Germany and the rest of Europe, but in Canada parts tractors are generally <$1000, running, unrestored tractors are $1000-$3000, and restored tractors are anywhere from $3000-$10 000.
Rare ones of course go for more, but they come up for sale so rarely that it doesn't really effect the common enthusiast.
Again, this is from a Canadian perspective. I'm not quite sure what the European subculture is like, or if it is more elitist, but I doubt it.
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Hey, nice tractor! I spent a lot of time at Pioneer Acres in the blacksmith shop, part of the Southern Alberta Blacksmith’s guild. It’s an awesome place for anyone interested in machinery and old stuff.
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Thanks! What you do is also very cool!
Yeah, that place is really cool. I had to be forced to leave, since even the junk row out back is fascinating.
This tractor is going to be shown at the Leduc West Antique Society. It’s to Edmonton as Pioneer Acres is to Calgary. In fact, they also have a blacksmith shop, although this one is ran by the Northern Alberta Blacksmith’s guild.
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More, please! Is that blue one front & center a Mack, or an old Renault?
https://en.renaultclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/type-CH-image-une-2-223×147.jpg-
That blue truck is old Renault.
Nice ID, especially since I had no idea Renault had made trucks that old.
The majority of the trucks in the museum are Macks of that era, but there is about one Renault, one Packard, to Pierce Arrows, and a few more obscure makes.
Oh, and there was one picture I forgot to add. They were having a Model T meet while I was there.
90 machines that are around a century old is a very impressive sight.
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If you like the old Fords, you might enjoy http://www.365daysofa.com/ about driving a Model A as his primary car for a full year.
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Wow!
Now that’s a hardcore Hoon!
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I’m considering picking up a 900 or 9-3 convertible as a second fun car. there are quite a few in the $2000-2500 range. I would enjoy a MX-5 but am a little too tall for the roof. My requirements are: fun to drive, no slushboxes, no rust. I enjoy wrenching, but not looking for a project. Any thoughts? Help, my DD suburban for work has sapped all the joy out of driving.
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If you want a 900 ‘vert, avoid the ’95-98 NG900 ‘verts. The electric tops on them are uh… problematic at best. The OG9-3 and the C900’s have hydraulic tops that’re much more reliable and easier to fix (but not necessarily cheaper.) The NG900 also has a cable clutch that you may or may not like the feel of.
If you want no rust, get an OG9-3 ‘vert (’99-03). Finding cheap rust-free C900’s is hard, especially turbo ones, but the OG9-3’s are cheap and plentiful right now. If you want to tune the car, try to find a ’99 since they still have the easier to tune Trionic 5 engine management and stronger B204 engines. Otherwise the ’00-03 Trionic 7 cars will fit your needs.
To make them more fun to drive for cheap, add these easy to bolt on parts:
http://www.genuinesaab.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=56_28&products_id=34
http://www.genuinesaab.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=56_28&products_id=35
http://www.genuinesaab.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=56_28&products_id=36
http://powerflexusa.com/saab9001994-1998steeringrackmountingflatbottom-pff66-412.aspx
http://powerflexusa.com/saab9001994-1998rearaxlemountingBushing-pfr66-315.aspx
Those will drastically improve the handling, steering feel, and road holding of any NG900/OG9-3. Especially the ‘verts, since they’re a little noodly from the factory. I don’t really recommend lowering springs or stiffer shocks until after you do those mods, and if you’re comfortable with scraping the bottom of your car on every bump.
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I’m intrigued by this Volvo picture. It’s a 1977 Dutch registered Volvo, but the picture has been taken at least relatively recently in the UK or Ireland. My guess is that it was competitor in the 2015 Carbagerun from the Netherlands to Scotland.
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